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Monitoring the diel activity of Ixodes ricinus ticks in Hungary over three seasons

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An Erratum to this article was published on 05 July 2013

Abstract

Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and vector of many diseases of humans. The risk of contracting such a disease is influenced by many factors, but one of the crucial points is questing activity of unfed ticks. In order to supplement the few literature data on patterns of diel activity of this tick species and to examine the correlations between data on diel activity of ticks and their small mammal hosts and some meteorological variables, a survey was performed. Diel activity of questing I. ricinus and small rodents was studied in a known natural tick-borne encephalitis virus focus over 7 months at one sampling day monthly. 1,063 I. ricinus ticks and 25 rodents were sampled. Air temperature and humidity data were also recorded in the 24 study plots at time of sampling. From April to October questing activity of nymphs increased in the 3-h-period after sunrise, comparing to activity of the 3 h before sunrise. Proportion of nymphs sampled 3 h after sunset compared to total sampled nymphs 3 h before and 3 h after sunset showed correlation to activity of rodents. In the period of April–July both nymphs and larvae showed stronger activity from sunrise to sunset, this turned to dominant nighttime activity in August–September, whereas activity changed to equal in day and night in October. Our results indicate that natural light and rodent population have positive effect on questing activity of I. ricinus.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Szabolcs Ádámszki, Gábor Földvári and Gyula Takács for their occassional help in sampling. The study was funded by the Hungarian National Research Found (OTKA) Grant No. K 81258.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vector and Public Health Pest Control, National Center for Epidemiology, Gyáli út 2-6, 1097, Budapest, Hungary

    Viktor Zöldi

  2. Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, P.O. Box 2, 1400, Budapest, Hungary

    Jenő Reicziegel

  3. Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, 1581, Budapest, Hungary

    László Egyed

Authors
  1. Viktor Zöldi
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  2. Jenő Reicziegel
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  3. László Egyed
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Correspondence to Viktor Zöldi.

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Zöldi, V., Reicziegel, J. & Egyed, L. Monitoring the diel activity of Ixodes ricinus ticks in Hungary over three seasons. Exp Appl Acarol 61, 509–517 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-013-9708-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-013-9708-4

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